The fields and mountains in spring are filled with happiness!ShinshuThe breath of the earth is felt by wild vegetables

It is generally known as "Ukogi," and "Okogi" is a unique name in the Iida area.

Nomura Keiichi

The snow in the Satoyama gradually began to melt from early March, Nagano In the prefecture, you start to see wild vegetables harvested by local people at direct agricultural products sales outlets, roadside stations, and supermarkets.
Many wild vegetables have earthy flavors, unique scrumptiness, and bittersweetness. This is caused by polyphenols and vegetable alkaloids, and not only makes you feel the arrival of spring, but it also helps us to remove waste from our winter bodies, which have been in a state where we are easily able to store fat to avoid escaping our body temperature in order to survive the cold and harsh winter, and to help us switch to an active body for spring. It is said that eating wild vegetables in spring makes sense, as there is a proverb that "adds a bitter taste to your spring plate."

There are only a few farmers in Iida City who are involved in the cultivation of okogi in houses. We carefully harvest each shoot.

Nomura Keiichi of Iida City has been cultivating this "okogi" for a long time, and has been growing it in houses for about 25 years now, and has been one of the first to ship it to direct sales outlets in the area. In a house warmed by utilizing the natural heat from the sun, we grow it by placing the trunks in a bucket filled with spring water that springs from the mountain behind our home, and picking young buds that have been around 1-2cm in size since the beginning of March. Small shoots are softer and easier to eat, and they are said to be softer when grown in houses than open-air plants. "The trunks of oysters have small sharp thorns, so the key is to stroke the trunk with sturdy leather gloves while they are still soft and remove them all," says Nomura. House items will be shipped in early March, and outdoor items will start shipping in early April. The season will be until Golden Week. It is said that when the buds grow, a unique texture called kishiki will be created.

JAみなみShinshuOyorite Farm Agricultural Products Direct Sales Store is run by. We carry a wide range of local agricultural products, and Nomura also ships wild vegetables to Oyorite Farm, including "Okogi," "Kogomi," "Tsubaki," and "Udo."

"The 'kogomi', a wild vegetable that represents spring, grows wild here, but I think it's been around for about 15 years that it has become popular. Perhaps this is because the culture of eating 'okogi' has been firmly rooted in this area," says Nomura. Wild vegetable picking also has a culture rooted in the local area, and it can also be a fleeting thing when you miss the harvest season in the spring mountains and fields, where things change every day, and the season will pass in no time. Why not try the culture that has been passed down from wild vegetables to the local area, and try the seasons unique to the region?

"Round-curved bamboo" that sticks out from the ground. In addition to Nozawa Onsen Village, Shiga Kogen, Yamanouchi Town and Takayama Village are also known as one of the leading producers in the Kitashin region.

The landlady of the house
Tomii Akemi

Root-curved bamboo is the harvest season from May to late June, when the wild vegetable season is approaching its end. NorthShinshuIt is one of the bounties of the mountains that people love. These are large young shoots of bamboo, known as "Chishimasasa," which grows in mountainous areas around 1,000m above sea level on the Sea of ​​Japan side of Sanin, Shinetsu, Tohoku and Hokkaido, and are characterized by their slim shape compared to Moso bamboo, which is often seen in supermarkets. The way it is used is different depending on the region, such as "himetake" in Sanin and "Gassantake" in Yamagata, and "Gatsuyamatake" in each region, and it is deep in snow. Nagano In the Kitashin region of the prefecture, it is popular as the name "root-curved bamboo" because its roots are bent and come out when pushed by snow.

Tomii also taught me how to peel the skin of "curved root bamboo." After breaking the head part, it is said to peel it off by wrapping it around your fingers. You need some tips.

"At first I was very surprised that the thin bamboo shoots and the miso soup contained canned mackerel. I wondered if it didn't smell fishy, ​​so I ate it timidly and it was soft and had little bitterness, and above all, the salty and oily content of the canned mackerel went well with the 'curved bamboo' and miso, which was very tasty," he says. Nagano Tomi Akemi married to Nozawa Onsen Village from Koumi Town, located in the eastern part of the prefecture, and serves as the proprietress of the hot spring inn "Oyado Marutoya."

Tomii's homemade "Tempura with bent-tips of root-curved bamboo" and "Stewed with bent-tips of root-curved bamboo and fleshed herring." Tempura is said to be delicious when mixed with powdered cheese and fried, giving it a deep and rich flavor.

The harvested "curved bamboo" becomes harder and harder, so the key is to cook and pre-treat it on the day it is picked. Tomii cooks the "rocked bamboo shoots" he picks, not only "bamboo soup", but also stewed dishes and tempura at the tips, as well as grilled bamboo shoots and cooked rice, and serves them to guests. Tomii's style is to add frozen tofu to the stew. When frozen tofu is fried in water and boiled with bamboo shoots and fleshed herring, it is said that the frozen tofu that absorbs oil will deepen its flavor.